Con Brio-The Independent, San Francisco CA

Known for their fiery live shows, Con Brio is a living, evolving testament to the power of soul. Fronted by 21-year-old phenom Ziek McCarter — a charismatic, undeniably gifted showman whose stage presence calls to mind the magnetism of a young Michael Jackson or James Brown — the band’s sound traces a clear lineage from the dirty funk, blues, and psychedelic legacy of Bay Area legends like Sly and the Family Stone, with a nod toward ‘90s neo-soul trailblazers like D’Angelo, but with an eye to the future: A drive for experimentation, for pushing their high technical ability higher, for reaching beyond the familiar — approaching a deep R&B groove, a hard-rock guitar solo, or the warm peal of a Hammond organ with an ambitious, progressive sensibility.